Did shoppers open their wallets in May?

Americans pried open their wallets in May to capitalize on new styles and Mother’s Day promotions, the Hamilton JournalNews reported.

Major retailers, including Macy’s Inc. and Limited Brands Inc., all posted bigger-than-expected gains from a year ago. The gains followed a dismal April, when retailers on average posted their weakest performance since November 2009.

Shoppers were enticed by colorful new styles, said Ken Perkins, president of Retail Metrics LLC.

The gains are considered positive because retailers were largely up against strong comparison results from a year ago.